Green Horizons

What's All the Buzz About Native Plants?

By: KIM YOUNG | Forrest Keeling Nursery
By: WAYNE LOVELACE | Forrest Keeling Nursery

The White House recently released a "National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honeybees and Other Pollinators". This initiative calls for the installation of one million 'pollinator' gardens and the expanded use of native plants in the landscapes of federal properties. Consumers are alarmed with the use of certain pesticides, which may be linked to a decline of the honeybee population and other pollinators. The loss of native habitat to support critical pollinators and other wildlife is also a growing concern.

The impact of the introduction of exotic species to our landscapes has never been more evident or relevant. We are painfully cognizant of the threat to our natural ecosystems from the uncontrolled spread of invasive plants. The challenge to eradicate species such as bush honeysuckle, callery pear, kudzu, lespedeza, multi flora rose, and the list goes on, is difficult and costly. At some point these exotic plant introductions seemed like a good idea, offering solutions for erosion control and sources of abundant wildlife food. These 'solutions' now threaten the health and diversity of our native ecosystems. Consumers desire local and healthy food choices. Tolerance of higher costs associated with safe and thoughtful food production is evident from the expanded shelf space dedicated to organically grown produce. There is a growing trend toward the inclusion of edible plants in our landscapes. Native fruits and nuts such as pawpaw, chokeberry, elderberry, pecans and walnuts provide a multitude of health benefits and are creating local niche market opportunities.

Recently, we have experienced dramatic climate extremes such as the severe drought during the summer of 2012. When the dust settled, we looked around and noted that what had survived were our native species. Native genotypes have evolved to withstand the extreme fluctuations we can experience in weather patterns. A real and growing concern over the availability of water has us rethinking what we are planting in our lawns and landscapes, shifting us to use drought tolerant and low maintenance native species.

Most major cities now require the use of best management practices and green solutions to reduce and control storm water. Developers are required to build systems designed to keep storm water from leaving the property. Homeowners are encouraged to install rain gardens and native plants to filter nitrates and other pollutants from entering our water sources. Farmers are incentivized to install native plant buffers to control stream bank erosion and mitigate the introduction of antibiotics and other agricultural by-products into our riparian systems.

Additional motivation for using native plants comes from the trend to build using sustainable construction, materials and practices. Green building programs such as LEED certification, encourage developers to employ sustainable landscape designs, including the use of native plants. Corporations are installing native landscapes on their campuses and planting native trees to offset carbon footprints, demonstrating their commitment to protecting the environment.

In 1934, Aldo Leopold said, "Conservation will ultimately boil down to rewarding the private landowner who conserves the public interest". Today, we see his visionary prophecy coming to light with the implementation of market-based and voluntary programs developed to compensate landowners for preserving our natural ecosystem services. Landowners can prosper from providing wetlands, wildlife habitat, pollination services, bioremediation, and improving water and air quality, through the use of native plants.

The use of native plants has achieved a foot-hold in today's landscape industry. Native plants that once lacked prestige are now desirable and in demand. When used with thoughtful design, native plants provide our landscapes with unrivaled beauty. More importantly they are the life support of our critical native ecosystems.

To learn more about native plants and their uses in farm and home landscapes or to find where to purchase native plants visit www.grownative.com.